What is Fill Any PDF? FillAnyPDF.com is a website where you upload your PDF form and link to it so other people can fill it out and sign it online. No software is needed. Any PDF form can be used, even if it's not "interactive", so you can get started right away. You can even invite a group to fill out your forms and track the results. Anyone that collects signatures or filled out forms will find FillAnyPDF.com to be a valuable time-saving resource.

The map as historyThe largest on-line collection of animated historical maps\nFor students: a learning tool to increase comprehension and retentionFor teachers: a ready-made teaching tool to add visual impact in the classroomFor history buffs: new technology to add new perspectivesOur on-line maps use animation, color and narration to bring history to life.

MuseScore is a free cross platform WYSIWYG music notation program, licenced under GNU GPL.Some highlights: WYSIWYG, notes are entered on a "virtual note sheet"Unlimited number of stavesUp to four voices per staffEasy and fast note entry with mouse, keyboard or MIDIIntegrated sequencer and FluidSynth software synthesizerImport and export of MusicXML and Standard MIDI Files (SMF)Platform independent code, binaries available for Windows, Mac and LinuxAvailable in 20 languagesGNU GPL licenced

Monday, February 22, 2010

Ben Grey pointed me to Karl Fisch's excellent post here on Google Apps Edu where he raises some good points - many of them we were asking way before Google Apps existed. For years we have provided students with network storage and every year we have faced the same set of questions: how do kids transfer it out, what happens if a student graduates and then needs something later, what if they don't own the programs they need to display their work after they leave (especially with programs such as CAD and digital imaging software - although many students don't have the MS office suite at home). Every year we have posted steps for copying and moving this information (we now include steps for their Google products as well).

Overall (except sites) moving this material has become easier and the program used to run/display the work is readily available. Google's data liberation project is making it easier to get your data off or transferred all the time.

I agree that keeping the digital footprint becomes fragmented, but for those articles that are worth displaying I would encourage students to create their own portfolio outside of our walled-garden. The semi-walled-garden may not be authentic, but it is an environment where many of our students (and more often our staff) feel comfortable making, and learning from, their mistakes.

I agree as well, that many schools are interested in the control aspect of Google Apps Edu - but in some cases that is what allows for the filters to come down and for schools to open up to the possibilities it offers. Over time Google will continue to add other apps into the fold and it will become more robust (just as they have started to with groups). For us it was an organizational issue - we wanted students to all have an email address - we wanted to make sure it stuck with them and didn't change. This gives us a constant way to contact students and this has made many of our teachers more open to using other "2.0" technologies such as Nings and Wiki's because they can be sure of who is a member of those sites and there is some accountability for these classroom extensions. We rely on those email addresses to distribute essential information; therefore we need to be the administrators of those accounts, just like we are for our staff. Sure there are times when we need to access those accounts for discipline reasons (we do for staff too).

I don’t think this is an either or question – it is a combination of both is the correct answer. Just as I maintain a work account and profile and a personal account and profile, our students need to learn to do the same. What happens when I leave this place of work? I need to use skills to transfer my online life from one profile to another. We should be teaching our students these skills as well – for when they move through their many stages of life. Put them on Google Apps Edu, and for those over 13, encourage them to start building their personal profile as well. Let them make mistakes where it is safe and then display great work where they feel is appropriate. Teach them to do it all while they move between the many levels of society (face to face or virtual) which is one of the many things that growing up is all about.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

The GartnerGroup study, which examined costs on a three-year basis,reported the cost-per-user for this time period for GroupWise was$136.00; whereas the cost-per-user for Exchange was over three times higher at$486.00, and Notes was over five times higher at $719.00.

Friday, February 12, 2010

Google Docs Does Not Violate CIPA (or COPPA*)The following is an email I’ve found myself writing more and more often. This is the longest version (and the latest one I’ve sent off). I’ve decided to share my take on the situation here on this blog for three reasons. First, I hope I can point people here instead of writing more emails. Second, I hope this might benefit people who might never email me (such as people searching the web for this topic). And third, I hope those of you familiar with such things (either legal experts or educators who are fighting this fight – on either side) will provide feedback in the comments.

Migratr is a desktop application which moves photos between popular photo sharing services. Migratr will also migrate your metadata, including the titles, tags, descriptions and album organization. Whether you want to copy your photos from Flickr to Faces, Picasa to Phanfare, or Zenfolio to Zooomr, Migratr is the app for you. Migratr will copy your photos FROM any supported photo service, TO any supported photo service.Currently, Migratr supports the following services:23HQAol Pictures (Import Only) (CLOSING)Faces.comFlickrMenalto Gallery (Self-Hosted)Picasa WebPhanfarePhotobucketSmugMugZenfolioZooomr

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

'BIblioburro' follows Luis Soriano, a teacher in the small town of La Gloria, Colombia, as he travels into the hills and through the fields, on the back of his donkey, bringing with him books for children of the rural communities who have no access to any bookstores or libraries.

If anything has universal appeal among children, it is a good story with heroes and heroines. Stories with rich descriptions of the lives and personalities of inspiring individuals (mythical or real, contemporary or historical) entertain as well as serve as role models for children. Through heroes and heroines of different cultures, children develop an understanding of societal expectations and norms in various parts of the world (Stan, 2002; Tomlinson, 1998), and what it can mean to live in a particular region, or time period, or to be male or female (Rockman, 1993).

The purpose of this Digest is to explore how heroes and heroines in children's literature from around the world help young learners understand and appreciate different cultures. We consider how protagonists can serve as role models for children; discuss how it is possible to obtain insights into universal and culturally specific values and beliefs through stories set in a range of settings; and conclude with some resources for determining good international and multicultural children's literature.

1 a : a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability b : an illustrious warrior c : a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities d : one that shows great courage2 a : the principal male character in a literary or dramatic work b : the central figure in an event, period, or movement

Tuesday, February 09, 2010

Feeds make it easy to follow updates to all kinds of webpages, from blogs to news sites to Craigslist queries, but unfortunately not all pages on the web have feeds. Today we're rolling out a change in Google Reader that lets you create a custom feed to track changes on pages that don't have their own feed.These custom feeds are most useful if you want to be alerted whenever a specific page has been updated. For example, if you wanted to follow Google.org's latest products, just type "http://www.google.org/products.html" into Reader's "Add a subscription" field. Click "create a feed", and Reader will periodically visit the page and publish any significant changes it finds as items in a custom feed created just for that page.

This Google Apps Education Edition Online Agreement (the “Agreement”) is entered into by and between Google Inc., a Delaware corporation, with offices at 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, California 94043 (“Google”) and the entity agreeing to these terms (“Customer”). This Agreement is effective as of the date you click the “I Accept” button below (the “Effective Date”). If you are accepting on behalf of your employer or another entity, you represent and warrant that: (i) you have full legal authority to bind your employer, or the applicable entity, to these terms and conditions; (ii) you have read and understand this Agreement; and (iii) you agree, on behalf of the party that you represent, to this Agreement. If you don’t have the legal authority to bind your employer or the applicable entity, please do not click the “I Accept” button below. This Agreement governs Customer’s access to and use of the Service.

Customer agrees that Google’s responsibilities do not extend to the internal management or administration of Customer’s electronic messaging system or messages and that Google is merely a data-processor.

3.4 No Fees. Google may charge a fee for the Services after the initial term, and may charge a fee for new functionality or optional enhancements that may be added by Google to the Service. Google may also offer a premium version of the Services for a fee. Prior to Google charging Customer as stated in this section, Google and Customer will negotiate either a new agreement or an amendment to this Agreement.

6.1 Obligations. Each party will: (a) protect the other party’s Confidential Information with the same standard of care it uses to protect its own Confidential Information; and (b) not disclose the Confidential Information, except to affiliates, employees and agents who need to know it and who have agreed in writing to keep it confidential. Each party (and any affiliates, employees and agents to whom it has disclosed Confidential Information) may use Confidential Information only to exercise rights and fulfill obligations under this Agreement, while using reasonable care to protect it. Each party is responsible for any actions of its affiliates, employees and agents in violation of this Section.

6.2 Exceptions. Confidential Information does not include information that: (a) the recipient of the Confidential Information already knew; (b) becomes public through no fault of the recipient; (c) was independently developed by the recipient; or (d) was rightfully given to the recipient by another party.

6.3 Required Disclosure. Each party may disclose the other party’s Confidential Information when required by law but only after it, if legally permissible: (a) uses commercially reasonable efforts to notify the other party; and (b) gives the other party the chance to challenge the disclosure.

6.4 The Admin Tool and Third Party Requests.

a. Admin Tool. Google will provide the Admin Tool only as a part of providing the Service. Customer misuse of the Admin Tool is considered a material breach of the Agreement.

b. Third Party Requests. Customer is responsible for responding to Third Party Requests. Google will, unless it is prohibited by law or by the terms of the Third Party Request: (a) promptly notify Customer of its receipt of a Third Party Request in a manner permitted by law; (b) comply with Customer’s reasonable requests regarding its efforts to oppose a Third Party Request; and (c) provide Customer with the information or tools required for Customer to respond to the Third Party Request. Customer will first use the Admin Tool to access the required information, and will contact Google only if it is insufficient for Customer’s needs.

11.2 Effects of Termination. If this Agreement terminates, then: (i) the rights granted by one party to the other will cease immediately; (ii) Google will provide Customer access to, and the ability to export, the Customer Data for a commercially reasonable period of time at Google’s then-current rates for the applicable Service; (iii) after a commercially reasonable period of time, Google will delete Customer Data pursuant to the Google Apps Privacy Notice; and (iv) upon request each party will promptly return or destroy all other Confidential Information of the other party.

“Confidential Information” means information disclosed by a party to the other party under this Agreement that is marked as confidential or would normally be considered confidential under the circumstances. Customer Data is Customer’s Confidential Information.

“Customer Data” means data, including email, provided, generated, transmitted or displayed via the Services by Customer or End Users.

This isn't a question that just just be asked with a Google product, or a product in the cloud. This is a question that I ask with every piece of software we purchase: "What is the cost of leaving this product". What if suddenly Microsoft announced that they were releasing a "patch" that allowed them access to your servers? What if the company providing your SIS is taken over by another company and you cannot get support for your product any more? What if your anti-virus company goes out of business and stops updating definitions? In all of these cases you need an exit strategy - and coming up with one on the fly is dangerous and expensive. We should have a plan before we leap. As mentioned above, Google's data liberation project shows that Google is dedicated to allowing you to move your data. What would it take to move your Data off of an exchange server if that was no longer a viable solution? Probably the same amount as it would take to leave Google. The good part is at least you were not spending anything on Google while you had it. Simple point - in software, or in life, always have an exit strategy. Goes back to the Boy Scout Motto - Be Prepared.

When the old Clark bridge at Alton, Illinois, became less fit for carrying traffic across the Mississippi River, a team of designers and engineers was called in to apply its knowledge of science and art to build a new bridge. The team faced numerous challenges. How could team membersconstruct towers that would support the weight of the bridge, road, and traffic load?build a bridge while not interfering with river barge traffic?design a bridge that would be within budget, aesthetic, and safe?In this two-hour special, NOVA tracks the work of engineers, construction crews, contractors, surveyors, and project managers as they build the new Clark bridge from the ground up.

Thursday, February 04, 2010

Teachers are tapping into technology and digital media for learning. Watch How Google Saved a School and discuss the hype and the hopes for improving education through technology.More and more educators are tapping into the power of digital media and technology for teaching and learning. The variety of information resources available online is simply staggering. Explore how teachers and students are using the power of social media to promote students' active engagement, critical thinking and literacy skills.

New Forms of Learning. It doesn't need to happen in school. Because it's visual, interactive and social, learning can happen anywhere with digital media as people collaborate and share about a wide range of topics and issues that matter to them.

Hope, Hype and Reality. Are today's learners really different from previous generations? Compelling images of students using digital technology are impressive, but the research evidence on the impact of technology on learning is more mixed. And it's sometimes hard to separate the scholarship from the marketing hype, given the deep investment of technology companies in promoting the idea of technology's transformative potential.

Tuesday, February 02, 2010

Teachers who want to get into social networking or expand their current network can find many different communities, micro-blogging platforms, interactive marketplaces, learning management systems, and other helpful resources online. Here are 10 social networking tools created specifically for educators and academics.

Applebatch - Applebatch is a teacher community and professional network for K-12 educators who want to build relationships, learn more about networking events, and explore job opportunities.

TeachAde - TeachAde is an interactive online community and social network for teachers, college professors, and home schoolers. Site members can collaborate, communicate, and share resources online.

We the Teachers - We the Teachers combines social networking with teachers resources to provide a useful online community for educators. Teachers can use the site to share lesson plans, communicate with like-minded teachers, and gain access to free classroom tools.

Edmodo - This private social platform works sort of like Twitter but is designed specifically for teachers and students. Edmodo provides a safe place to share files, assignments, and more.

HotChalk - HotChalk is a learning environment and social platform for K-12 teachers. This site also offers a learning management system and a library of free teacher resources.

TeachStreet - TeachStreet is an online learning community for students and an online marketplace for teachers who want to connect with students. The site allows teachers to promote classes, events, and workshops and collect payments online.

TeacherTube - TeacherTube is a unique site where teachers can share instructional videos and other types of content online. Anyone can upload a video, comment on current videos, and rate viewed videos.

Edutagger - Edutagger is a social bookmarking site for K-12 teachers who want to share articles, news, and blog posts. Anyone can submit content to the site and users can vote on their favorite pieces.

GroupTweet - Teachers who like to use Twitter to network and socialize will like GroupTweet. This free app allows users to share private messages via Twitter.

Shelfari - Shelfari is an excellent social network for teachers who like to read and want to share their bookshelf with other educators. There are several education and school-related groups on the site. Teachers can join a group or start their own.

Guest post from education writer Karen Schweitzer. Karen is the About.com Guide to Business School. She also writes about online classes for OnlineClasses.org.